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The Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS) is a computerised database which is used by law enforcement in several countries to find potential links between serial violent crimes. In 2012, Bennell, Snook, MacDonald, House and Taylor identified a number of assumptions that must be valid for these computerised systems to be effective.

This paper revisits and expands on these assumptions with specific reference to the use of ViCLAS, looking at research that has been conducted since this 2012 review and outlining where research is still outstanding.

The importance of evaluating ViCLAS is highlighted in this paper.

Particularly, the research agenda highlights how the practice of comparative case analysis when using ViCLAS could be improved.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first review of the research dedicated specifically to the evaluation of ViCLAS.

This paper aims to evaluate how five Operation Soteria Bluestone (OSB) participating forces integrated principles of procedural justice and proactive disruption of offending into their investigations, specifically during the closing stages of a case when considering exit strategy and longer-term prevention.

A mixed-methods approach was taken, including 32 semi-structured interviews with officers and 59 case reviews of recent rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO). Data analysis methods included qualitative thematic analysis of interviews, while data from reviewed case logs was extracted and analysed using a bespoke case review tool.

Increased workloads, preparation of evidence and relational/communication difficulties with the crown prosecution service (CPS) were identified as barriers to implementing long-term disruption options. Dedicated resourcing, training and support are needed to promote suspect-focused investigative strategy and wider uptake of long-term disruption methods. Early investigative approach was also found to have “snowball” effects on suspect exit strategy, with initial lack of suspect focus and preoccupation with victim credibility, impeding consideration of long-term disruption and safeguarding options. Findings also point to a disparity between promising practice in relation to procedural justice for victims and (a relative lack of) proactive policing of repeat suspects.

The study represents a novel contribution to research on policing RASSO, illustrating the scale and nature of the obstacles to changing how these offences are investigated, even when under intense scrutiny from policy makers. It also highlights how increased organisational investment and support is linked to positive changes in practice in some forces.

Despite recent increases, the low level of convictions in cases of rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO), aligned with the subsequent lack of victim satisfaction with the process, has highlighted the various challenges and barriers throughout the criminal justice process. Whilst understanding the shortcomings of criminal justice processes in cases of RASSO requires a holistic approach, this paper focuses on case preparation and the application of the Full Code test. Its purpose is to explore the application of this test and preceding case preparation in police decision-making around submitting cases for charging decision, following the recommendations of the first year of Operation Soteria Bluestone.

This study adopted a mixed-method approach, combining both interviews and case reviews of selected RASSO cases across five forces in England and Wales.

This research found a shift towards “threshold thinking”, whereby officers arguably no longer try to predict a prosecutor’s decision and instead focus on meeting the requirements for the application of the test. In terms of case preparation, the research demonstrates a move away from “fishing expeditions”, with a preference for more focused approaches to collecting evidence.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies looking at the use of full code test principles in police decision-making in RASSO cases.

There is a surprising lack of underpinning evidence relating to how police specialism is defined, conceived and operationalised nationally. This study aims to shed light on the development of specialism, adding insights towards academic and police knowledge on the topic.

Exploratory research was conducted to draw evidence on police specialism in England and Wales according to publications in the literature and insights from high-ranking police officers. A total of 57 documents and 10 officers’ accounts were thematically analysed. Five main themes have been identified, relating to the development, impact and barriers of specialist units, knowledge and training.

Socio-cultural, policy-based and historical information that contributed to the development of specialism in its contemporary form were discussed. The conceptual triggers for the institution of most specialist units were disasters and a need for modernisation. In both cases, police forces were faced with the inability to keep up with emerging threats and new criminal techniques. Some exceptions apply, with specialisms of sex offences still being underdeveloped and underfunded compared to other crimes. Overall, although specialism has the potential to positively impact police efficacy, the specialist knowledge of officers working within specialist units is frequently inferred – rather than measured.

Organisational support and the quality of training impact specialism effectiveness. The substantial lack of resources allocated to specialism means that training for some crime types is either unavailable or difficult to complete. Police officers fear that specialism might lead to elitism and corrupt police practices. There is no evidence, however, that elitist beliefs are the direct result of specialism or rather additional co-occurring organisational, cultural and force-specific or role-dependant factors. Police officers’ wellbeing and specialist capacity take a significant toll.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was the first modern study of its kind that investigated how police specialism is conceived, instituted and prioritised in England and Wales.

Several studies have been conducted to understand why the conviction rate for rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) remains so low. Increasing pressure and criticism have led to questioning why improvements in RASSO investigations are proving ineffective. The purpose of this study was to capture police officers’ perspective of police specialism while investigating RASSO.

A total of 82 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data collection spanned across two years, from October 2021 until May 2023, and included police officers from four police forces in England and Wales. Template analysis was used to identify recurrent patterns around police specialism for RASSO.

Most officers viewed specialism as a tool to improve how police forces prevent and tackle RASSO. In spite of this, the lack of prioritisation of specialist training, roles and units specifically for this crime type has hindered the development of evidence-based practice in policing. The impact on well-being, resources, organisational support and role identity has been explored.

This is the first qualitative study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to look at officers’ insights on police specialism for RASSO in England and Wales. Officers discussed day-to-day challenges associated with conducting RASSO investigations while reflecting on potential advantages related to dedicated specialist units and/or specialist roles.

In the context of rising reports of rape, set against falling convictions, it has been argued that rape has been de facto decriminalised in England and Wales. This paper aims to explore how police and prosecutors investigating rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) use and perceive investigation management documents (IMDs), and how high-quality IMDs may lead to better justice outcomes. IMDs must be started by police at the beginning of an investigation and should document: what an officer is/is not doing and why; what the reasonable lines of enquiry are and their outcomes; and what has translated to evidence and supports charge, disclosure or unused material. The document is shared with the crown prosecution service at the point a charging decision is sought.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 police officers and five crown prosecutors across five areas in Year 2 of Operation Soteria Bluestone, a project that aimed to improve how police investigate rape. These interviews were analysed using the qualitative method of thematic analysis.

Three main themes were identified relating to timeliness, understanding, and quality of IMDs. It was found that IMDs are not always started at the beginning of RASSO investigations or even at all. Officers also lacked understanding around the purpose of IMDs, often seeing them as duplications of other case files. Finally, prosecutors and police concurred that the quality of IMDs are generally poor and lacking in critical reflection.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first academic paper to consider the use of IMDs by police and prosecutors in RASSO investigations. As such, it is both a unique contribution to the field and also provides a platform for future research. Understanding how police officers can produce the highest quality IMDs, in a timely fashion, is of paramount importance given the wider societal context of increasing reports of rape alongside low charge rates. Implications for training are considered.

The purpose of this paper is to examine what kinds of capabilities are required by process industry companies as they move toward servitization. The authors proceed in two steps. First, the authors explore the capabilities needed in servitization with a qualitative multiple case study. Second, the authors link the identified capabilities to the servitization steps that were derived from prior literature.

Based on earlier servitization literature, the authors build a five-step servitization model for industrial companies. Then, drawing on the empirical study consisting of three focus group sessions with three case companies and 20 interviews in 14 case companies, the authors identify 14 servitization capabilities and link them to the servitization steps.

The study reveals how dynamic capabilities are required in servitization. In contrast to operational capabilities, which are geared toward enabling firms to make a living in the present, dynamic capabilities extend or modify operational capabilities in response to market changes. Based on the empirical study, the authors were able to identify dynamic capabilities for all five steps of servitization: identification of current services and customer needs, determination of a service strategy, creation of new business models and pricing logics, improvements in capabilities, and, ultimately, management services as a separate function.

The current study is exploratory in nature and the number of empirical observations is limited to 14 industrial companies operating in the process industry.

Most importantly, in servitization, companies need dynamic capabilities to transform their operating capabilities in sales and marketing as well as in quantifying and communicating the value created for customers.

The study is the first one to make a link between the capabilities needed and the various stages of servitization and also the first to study the specific context of process industry companies.

The research problem in this study is how a client (as a project owner) should organise early stakeholder involvement and integration in the front-end phase of a project. This study aims to create normative managerial statements as propositions from the client's perspective and to combine them into a set of activities enabling efficient organisation in the front-end phase of a hospital construction project.

Action design research (ADR) was carried out in a large hospital construction project where the first author acted as an “involved researcher” and the other authors acted as “outside researchers”.

The authors created seven normative managerial propositions that were verified by the case project stakeholders and developed a managerial framework describing the client's essential stakeholder involvement and integration activities in the front-end phase of a hospital construction project based on these propositions. The authors have also depicted the subphases of the front-end phase: value definition phase in the client permanent organisation, value proposition phase in the client Programme Management Office (PMO) and finally development phase in the alliance organisation ending on the final investment decision.

The collaborative contract delivery model enables the early involvement and integration of stakeholders. It has been somewhat surprising to note the extent to which collaborative contracts change the client role in the project front-end. The results offer practical activities for how clients can manage front-end activities in collaborative contracts.

The case project offered a platform to analyse how the collaborative contract delivery model changes the emphasis of activities in the front-end of a project. One of the key benefits of collaborative contracts is that development, design and delivery occur partially in parallel, thereby enabling contributions from production to be included in the design and development. The benefit of having a real-life case under study provides the possibility to triangulate and analyse rich data, however limited by the qualitative case method.